[1] It was first presented at the 9th Golden Globe Awards ceremony in February 1952 and is named in honor of its first recipient, director Cecil B.

[3] The HFPA chose DeMille due to his prestige in the industry and his "internationally recognized and respected name".

[3] DeMille received the award the year his penultimate film, The Greatest Show on Earth, premiered.

The second incident was due to the 2007–08 Writers Guild of America strike's cancellation of that year's ceremony.

[5] The third occurrence resulted from various media companies, actors, and other creatives boycotting the awards in protest over its lack of action to increase the membership diversity of the HFPA.